10 Ways to Achieve Success in Nursing School

8. Use the Internet to Connect With Other Nurses

Perhaps you’ve heard the expression, “Nurses eat their young.” Perhaps you’ve even experienced that phenomenon in your clinicals. Believe me, this is the exception rather than the norm. For the most part, nurses love to share their knowledge and experience with others, and connecting with other nurses on the Internet is a great way to take advantage of this.

So where should you begin? Right here on NursingLink. The best way to connect with others is to start a thread in our discussions. Not sure if you want to specialize in pediatrics? Start a thread in Pediatric Nursing. Are you wondering if working as a CNA while you are in school is a good idea? Take a look at the Career Strategies thread.

You can also submit news articles and start a conversation about them. You can submit educational materials. Have you written a paper that you really like? Submit it here. Posting your work on NursingLink is a great way to get feedback from other nurses.

9. Keep a Journal

It’s inevitable. Things are going to happen that will overwhelm you, piss you off, make you cry, leave you feeling bewildered. How will you process it all? A great way of doing this is by keeping a journal. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. It could be as simple as a notebook that you write a few paragraphs in when you need to get some things off your chest. Or you could get a little more elaborate and start a blog. A blog is kind of like an online diary that you share with others. Some student nurses maintain blogs where they post stories and thoughts about what it’s like to be in nursing school.

10. Remember Why You Chose Nursing in the First Place

Are you still paying attention? Good, because this is the most important step. At the end of the day all the classes, books, labs, clinicals, care plans, study groups and term papers don’t add up to anything if you lose site of why you are doing all of this in the first place. Ask yourself why you chose nursing and write it down on a piece of paper. Keep it handy so that when you feel you are approaching a critical point of stress and frustration, you will remember that there is a reason for all of it.

And believe me, it’s worth it. The day I received my RN license in the mail was one of the best days of my life; and even on the toughest days at work, I still go home knowing that what I do makes a difference in people’s lives.